What Makes a Good Product Photography?

Product photography is not easy.

11:09 15 March 2021

Even the most simple items need the right equipment, lighting, and room to create spectacular photos that entice consumers to buy right away. Whether you are shooting with a high-end camera or a simple smartphone, there are a few steps to follow in order to get the best results. 

 

So, the question is: What is product photography and how do you make it look like a good one? In this article, you will know the answer to that question.

 

All About Product Photography

 

Product photography utilizes a range of techniques to view items in an enticing manner and tempt prospective customers to obtain them.

 

In order to have effective catalogs, brochures, magazine advertisements, internet ads, and websites, product photography is considered an important part of when it comes to online or offline advertising, particularly when selling goods directly to consumers. Below, you will know about things you can do to make good product photography.

 

14 Things You Should Do To Have A Better Product Photography

 

1. You Should Have A Tripod Or A Phone Mount 

 

Your product images should be clean, clear, and free of blurs so that they will look perfect. A stabilizing accessory, such as a tripod for your camera to ensure that your images are as sharp as possible. 

 

Tripods are simply stands that hold your camera steady as you hold it in your shaking hand. When you use a tripod, you can reduce blur, which is essential if you want your product photos to look professionally captured.

 

Tripods are a must-have that can make a major difference in the clarity and consistency of your product photography. What's better is that they are also not really costly or difficult to use! On the other hand, a phone mount will help if you are using a smartphone. It can come in handy if you are using it to stabilize your phone while capturing images from your device.

 

2. You Should Get A Backdrop

 

It's generally proposed that product pictures be taken against a white background to produce the best outcomes. This will cut down on the number of editing hours and post-production you will have to do later. 

 

It will also aid in the creation of a uniform look across your entire store, making it appear more appealing and competent. Product-featured images only highlight the product, and it should show a variety of images of the subject from different angles. This is the reason why you should get a backdrop.

 

3. You Should Use Standard Lens For A Camera

 

To ensure that your product is not distorted in any way, use a normal lens. Broad angle and effect lenses sometimes wreak havoc on the proportions of the subjects in a photograph. 

 

Since you want your product to be as genuine as possible, you will want to make sure that all images that you capture accurately reflect the product in question, otherwise you will have issues with your customers.

 

Standard lenses are also known as regular lenses. They are the lenses that are very similar to the human eye in terms of perspective. They have no effect on the target in terms of mischaracterization or change. 

 

For your reference, 50mm focal length is the most common standard lens focal length. However, any focal length between 40mm and 58mm is considered usual as well.

 

4. You Should Find The Suitable Environment For Lifestyle Photos

 

Photos of your product being used in its envisioned environment or alongside complimentary items are called lifestyle photos. 

 

Take your product pictures outside, in an environment that complements your brand's personality. Natural light is the perfect choice for low-budget open-air shoots. You can get really nice results when the light is at its filtered point.

 

5. You Should Choose The Appropriate Light

 

Always remember how different sorts of light can support or damage your photos Purchasers get the primary glance at an item face to face, where they can perceive what they need to know prior to making a buy. 

 

At the point when all your site guests have an image to go on, the correct lighting arrangement will assist you with revealing those essential dynamic items. 

 

A solitary lighting setup may not be proper for all items; a lighting game plan that upgrades the presence of certain items may diminish the presence of others. You can pick between two sorts of light for your principal light source: natural lighting or artificial lighting.

 

6. You Should Choose A Consistent Background Color

 

When it comes to product photography, accuracy is important. Holding your product photos in a consistent context will keep your website looking neat and tidy. The coloring of the context should match the color scheme of the products and website. The aim is to bring your product to life by eliminating context flaws. 

 

7. You Should Use A Sweep 

 

For an additional tip, a sweep can be used to reduce defects and put the image front and center. A sweep is a large bendy sheet of paper that serves as a surface underneath the product at the bottom. Also, it curves up into a white wall behind, making the background neat and clean. 

 

What's great about a sweep's curve is that it is totally invisible on camera, which makes it easier to highlight the key product specifics and allows the object to command the entire attention of a website user.

 

8. You Should Consider Taking A Basic Photo Editing Course

 

While most editing should be limited, it is still an important skill to have in your product photography toolkit. This is the reason why you should consider taking a basic photo editing course. 

 

Small edits, such as adjusting the contrast or masking minor defects in your product photograph, can make a big difference in the final product after all.

 

The problem with editing is that there are so many things you can do that trying to do on your own without any formal training can be daunting. While there are some tutorial videos that can be found on Youtube, it may be hard to apply all of them on your own. 

 

You would want to learn some foundational information from the experts, particularly if you are using a tool like Photoshop, which contains a lot of features that will make you feel overwhelmed. Getting a photo editing course can help you not get totally frustrated when editing your product photos.

 

9. You Should Have Your Own Toolbox

 

You should have some of the following items inside your photographer's toolbox: tape, clamps, a notepad for certain reminders, a transparent fishing line, scissors, sticker glue, hangers (for products like clothes), hooks, safety pins, spare batteries, and the most important thing: a memory card. 

 

You could also get a hard drive for storing these photos or if you have private cloud storage, then that is a good option as well.

 

10.You Should Not Forget To Clean Your Lens

 

Make sure your lens is clean, though this may be obvious, it is a helpful reminder. Before your photoshoot, make sure your camera lens is clean and free from any dust, dirt, fog, or smudges. 

 

Dust, dirt, and smudges on your lens will stand out like a sore thumb. This will result in low-quality shots which you would not like. 

 

11. You Should Use Simple Props

 

Note that the product ought to be the central emphasis of each product image. Although props can be useful in brightening up a photograph for your audiences. So, how do you choose which props to include? Keep them plain, in line with the color scheme, and important to the scene or your product. That is all you have to know.

 

12. You Should Not Clutter The Set

 

Avoid making your picture too busy and overwhelming by including a lot of elements. Remember that your target is always to sell the product, not to divert the viewer's attention away from it. Strive to hold the product at the center of focus.

 

13. You Should Add Great Captions Perfect For Your Products

 

Captions are read more often than headlines. This implies that extensive explanations on your website can go unnoticed, whereas short fragments that explain what your product photos are about are more likely to be perceived. Users can be confronted with uncertainty if images lack meaning, asking questions about the item's size or how it functions.

 

You will want to write something informative and easy to absorb because your customers are more likely to read your captions than your product descriptions. 

 

The goal is to strike a balance between something that piques their curiosity and makes them want to explore more, as well as something that shows the advantages your item has over its rivals.

 

14. You Can Practice Until You Have The Best Product Photography Suitable For Your Items

 

Remember that pictures are what buyers will look at and evaluate while searching your shop, what you will promote on social media, and what your existing customers will share with others.

 

There is no reason to be concerned if you don't nail down a streamlined process right away. You can always play around with angles, lighting, and strategies before you find one that works for you.

 

The key is to make all of your product images look informative and reliable so that both new customers and potential ones can better imagine your product offerings, resulting in an increase in sales.

 

With all of these things to know listed down, you will know how to start and how to get by any issues you may face about product photography. Take your time to learn and remember to have fun in the process.